Mother of Bondi Junction victim calls for action on mental health

The mother of Jade Young, who was stabbed to death at Westfield Bondi Junction 10 days ago, has called on federal and state politicians to address gaps in mental health care.

Young’s mother Elizabeth (last name withheld) told mourners at a celebration of her daughter’s life on Tuesday that she wanted her grandchildren to grow up knowing security.

“I want (them) to grow up knowing security. I want federal and state politicians to address the gaps in mental health care,” said Elizabeth.

She said she would not let this tragedy become short-term fodder. “I am a mother tiger, born in 1950,” said Elizabeth.

Young, a 47-year-old mother of two, was among the six lives taken by a knife-wielding assailant Joel Cauchi, who had a long history of mental illness.

The stabbing rampage at Westfield Bondi Junction on April 13 also took the lives of four other women and a man: new mother and osteopath Ashlee Good, 38; bride-to-be Dawn Singleton, 25; artist Pikria Darchia, 55; Chinese economics student Yixuan Cheng, 27; and Westfield security guard Faraz Tahir, 30.

Cauchi was killed by NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott, who shot the attacker.

Friends and family arrive at the Botanic Gardens Calyx for the memorial for Jade Young who was murdered in the Bondi Junction knife attack.Credit: Nick Moir

The nine-month-old daughter of Good, who was one of 12 other people injured during the attack, was released from hospital on Sunday to return to her father.

“Our lives have been fractured. They will never go back to normal,” Elizabeth told the hundreds of people who gathered at the Calyx at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney in a celebration of her daughter’s life.

Jade’s mother thanked NSW Police and Westfield Bondi Junction for letting her kneel “sobbing, incoherent where my beautiful Jade died”.

“Never again will I laugh with my Jade,” Elizabeth said. “My heart is fractured, and I am exhausted and scared of the future.”

She said she wanted more than five minutes of “anodyne words” from politicians. “Never again do I want to read, ‘tragic’, associated with the perpetrator of my daughter’s death. He came prepared, making the shopping centre the most dangerous place.”

As requested, mourners arrived wearing colour. They wore pink, red, green and jade to celebrate a “gentle loving soul”.

The celebration of Jade’s life took place after members of Bronte Surf Lifesaving club participated in a “paddle-out” to remember all six victims.

More than 200 surfers – some paddling from Bronte and Tamarama – formed a circle about 150 metres off Bondi Beach where some held hands and were silent for a minute to honour those who died.

It was the largest circle anyone had seen, said locals.

The surfers broke the silence by throwing flowers – provided by Westfield Bondi Junction, where the stabbing attack took place – into the waves, and hitting and splashing the water in a ritual adapted from Hawaii to send energy to those departing this world.

Sarah Buckley said her friend Ash Good loved the beach, the water and life.Credit: Nick Moir

Sarah Buckley, a local surfer with the North Bondi surf club, said her good friend Ashlee Good had loved the dawn.

“She loved Bondi, she was always down here,” said Buckley. “This is a beautiful way for the community to remember her. She was just everything: a runner, a swimmer, she was involved in everything. She was just one of those incredible people who loves the sunrise, loved everything.”

As someone who had lived in Bondi and Bronte all her life, Buckley said she had a personal connection with nearly every victim of the Westfield Bondi Junction stabbing attack on Saturday, April 13.

“To think it can come close to us like this is horrific,” she said, referring to the stabbing attack by a lone assailant Joel Cauchi, who was shot dead by police.

“This [the paddle-out] is a beautiful way of saying this is who we really are ....”

Kellie Sloane, the member for Vaucluse, attended the paddle-out while Allegra Spender, the independent member for Wentworth, participated.

The clubs participating included Bondi Boardriders, Bondi Longboard Club, Bondi Girls Surfriders, Bronte Boardriders, Lets Go Surfing, Bondi SBLSC, North Bondi SLSC, Bronte SLSC, Tamarama SLSC, Bondi Icebergs and Bondi United.

Tamara Shelia, the best friend of artist Pikria Darchia, said Australia has to do more for people with mental health issues.

Darchia, who has two sons and three grandchildren, arrived in Australia in 2013. She had just finished lunch with Shelia before departing for the shopping centre.

“[Darchia] just wanted to buy a drink bottle in a smaller size for yoga class. That’s the main reason why she went to [Westfield Bondi Junction],” Sheila said.

“We think we live in a safe country, but apparently we do not. The government has to radically change their approach to such people [as Cauchi]. The country needs to look at mental health.”

Pikria Darchia

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